Jonathan Simkhai spends so much time in his boutiques that “people think I’m the store manager sometimes,” he said of frequenting his shops in Beverly Hills, Dallas, New York, and Southampton. The visits give the LA-based designer a chance to see which pieces are resonating with customers, and the offerings they hope to see in the future. His takeaways for pre-fall 2025 included a desire for genuine leather, an enthusiasm for pre-styled looks, and a growing interest in shoes and handbags.

“We were playing with a lot of vegan leather, historically,” Simkhai said, “but a lot of our customers were saying they wanted real leather; they wanted pieces that felt like they would last longer and felt more valuable, and they were willing to pay more for leather.” To that end, Simkhai fashioned barrel-leg trousers in brown and black calfskin (a shape he also does in denim). The pants are among pieces that feel decidedly fall, though much of the collection—an asymmetrical blazer vest, long-sleeve dresses with accordion-pleated skirts, and open knits—can work from June to January. Elsewhere, in an effort to take the guesswork out of styling, Simkhai offered a range of ruched and layered dresses marked by off-the-shoulder silhouettes and hip embellishments.

Clothing has long been at the core of the Simkhai brand—“I just really wanted to get the ready-to-wear solid before I launched accessories,” he said—but the label is now all-in on both handbags and shoes. For pre-fall, Simkhai’s shell clutch arrives in an updated, rectangular shape, and leather weaves through a metal ring on a pair of mules the designer described as “wavy and organic, but still sculpted and sensual.” Though Simkhai never envisioned accessories as a key category, his customers keep asking for them. “I love listening to the customer and doing what they ask for,” he said.